Megatrends

The most influential Megatrends set to shape the world through 2030, identified by Euromonitor International, help businesses better anticipate market developments and lead change for their industries.

Strategy Briefing

Global Café Culture: The Continuing Evolution of the "Third Place"

New Report Guarantee

If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extract FREE!

About This Report

New Report Guarantee

If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extract FREE!

Café culture is about more than just coffee: it is a study of dining customs, lifestyle traditions and social dynamics that explores how consumers use foodservice. Most global markets have some sort of long-standing café-based tradition, be it kissaten in Japan, pastane in Turkey or lanchonetes in Brazil; however, modern trends are driving the category’s evolution worldwide. Specialist coffee shops are growing in popularity, forming new social traditions and changing the way the world drinks.

Files are delivered directly into your account within a few minutes of purchase.

Why buy this report?

Cafés are social venues

Bolstered by the emerging popularity of specialist coffee shops worldwide, consumers are increasing looking for operators to sell social experiences as much as they do coffee or baked goods. This idea of foodservice as a "third place" is bleeding into other categories, and operators in everything from fast food to bars/pubs are looking for ways to drive snacking traffic and fill tables between traditional mealtimes.

Premium experience is key

Specialist coffee shops are a relatively new phenomenon in many markets, but coffee is anything but. Many of the largest growth opportunities are in markets that have long-standing coffee-drinking traditions, and with so many (often less expensive) coffee options already available in the market, modern operators need to leverage a premium experience in order to convince consumers to change their existing habits.

It's all about coffee

Operators in other categories are taking steps to claim a share of the lucrative demand for coffee and snacks throughout the day. Fast food operators are adding premium coffee and redesigning outlets to feel more like premium cafés, forcing coffee shops to scramble to maintain their share in key markets.

A new focus on food

In response to greater competition, coffee shop operators are expanding their menus in order to serve a wider range of dayparts. Many are offering more substantial lunch options, such as sandwiches and salads, while others are adding alcohol and shareable small plates in order to compete with cafés, full-service restaurants and bars/pubs for evening traffic.

Differentiation or bust

Amidst fierce competition, differentiation is becoming a necessity in growth markets. To achieve this, some concepts are reaching ever higher in terms of premium positioning while others are using themes, such as South Korea's "dessert cafés," to stand out.